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MS-DOS Batch file pause with enter key

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batch-file

dos

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How do I pause a batch file in DOS?

You can insert the pause command before a section of the batch file that you might not want to process. When pause suspends processing of the batch program, you can press CTRL+C and then press Y to stop the batch program.

How do you pause and resume in a batch file?

All you had to do back then was insert a pause command in the middle of the batch file; at that point, the batch file would halt and – like a faithful old dog – just sit there and wait for you to press a key on the keyboard. As soon as you pressed a key – any key – the batch file would resume again.

How do I pause a script in cmd?

Execution of a batch script can also be paused by pressing CTRL-S (or the Pause|Break key) on the keyboard, this also works for pausing a single command such as a long DIR /s listing. Pressing any key will resume the operation.


There's a pause command that does just that, though it's not specifically the enter key.

If you really want to wait for only the enter key, you can use the set command to ask for user input with a dummy variable, something like:

set /p DUMMY=Hit ENTER to continue...


pause command is what you looking for. If you looking ONLY the case when enter is hit you can abuse the runas command:

runas /user:# "" >nul 2>&1

the screen will be frozen until enter is hit.What I like more than set/p= is that if you press other buttons than enter they will be not displayed.


You can do it with the pause command, example:

dir
pause
echo Now about to end...
pause

Depending on which OS you're using, if you are flexible, then CHOICE can be used to wait on almost any key EXCEPT enter

If you are really referring to what Microsoft insists on calling "Command Prompt" which is simply an MS-DOS emulator, then perhaps TIMEOUT may suit your purpose (timeout /t -1 waits on any key, not just ENTER) and of course CHOICE is available again in recent WIN editions.

And a warning on SET /P - whereas set /p DUMMY=Hit ENTER to continue... will work,

set "dummy="
set /p DUMMY=Hit ENTER to continue...
if defined dummy (echo not just ENTER was pressed) else (echo just ENTER was pressed)

will detect whether just ENTER or something else, ending in ENTER was keyed in.